How to apply eyebrow makeup: discover KIKO’s beauty ideas for a captivating look

Once upon a time they were very thin, drawn with one single line and arched for a dramatic look. Then came the gull wing period, worthy of the biggest Hollywood divas (especially a blonde one, with particularly beautiful brows. You know who we're talking about, right?) Then in the eighties, eyebrows were worn thick and untamed, because everything had to be exaggerated back then. Finally came the nineties and the era of “over-tweezing”, which led to where we are today, where everyone takes great care and has one objective: perfection. A natural but super-defined look. Discover all the KIKO MILANO products and tips for looking after your eyebrows in the next #GETTHELOOK: never underestimate the strength of their beauty!

Start by studying the shape

Let's start at the beginning: brow shape. While there’s no one universal shape that suits or complements every face, there is a natural and perfect shape that can be enhanced for everyone, and the good news is that it’s not that difficult to do!

TIPS:

Arm yourself with an eyebrow pencil with a fine tip and a ruler (yes, an actual ruler - like the thin ones used at school. You’re bound to have at least one at home, hiding in a pencil case or drawer. Alternatively you could use a thin brush or thin pencil). Even though we all know our faces are never perfectly symmetrical, we must nevertheless try to reshape the eyebrow line evenly, because a precise eyebrow arch can make an incredible difference.

The three dots technique

Having removed your makeup, look carefully at your face and eyebrows in a mirror: comb your brows upwards and outwards with a clean and suitable brush. Take the ruler and put it vertically next to your nose, so that it touches the outside of your nostril and the inner corner of your eye. Following the line of the ruler, draw a dot on your eyebrow: this is the ideal starting point for your eyebrow arch. Do this for both eyes and then move onto the next step.
Using the same technique, start the ruler from the outside of the nose and move it so it lines up with the centre of the eye, over the iris. Draw a dot where it meets the eyebrow. This is where the highest point of the eyebrow should be, or where it should arch.
Carry on to the last step to define the end of the eyebrow, this time starting at the outside of the nose and lining it up with the outer corner of the eye: draw the last dot on your brow.

Finally, join the three dots on each eyebrow using small strokes, for a shape and thickness that will act as the basis for specific eyebrow makeup.

TIPS:

Use a pencil that isn’t too dark in comparison to your natural colour, so that the dots can't be seen and the lines aren’t excessively pronounced.

The “tweezer phase”

Once you’ve found the ideal shape and angle of your eyebrows, you’ll need to define them extremely carefully, using specific tweezers to remove excess hairs in relation to the lines you drew to join the dots together (it goes without saying: be very, very, veeery careful not to tweeze too much. When in doubt, stop and look at your progress in the mirror).

TIPS:

If you’re a fan of an extreme natural look, only remove the hairs that don’t follow the shape that you’ve drawn, and leave the line naturally full and thick. If on the other hand your eyebrows are sparse or patchy (yes, it can work!), fill them in with a pencil suited to you and your colouring (hair and eyebrows) or with an eyeshadow or specific product, always remembering to blend.

Specific makeup

It’s a matter of taste: choosing specific eyebrow makeup can seem like a challenge given the number of products available. Traditional pencils, automatic pencils, gels, markers, powders and coloured mascaras... so what should you use? It depends: on how familiar you are with them and the effect you want to achieve - bold or subtle, natural or high-impact. If you want controlled release and a soft tip to fill in any patches without smudging, then a marker is for you. If you're a precision-queen, then you’ll need a pencil with a super-fine tip to draw lines so thin that they look natural. Too busy in the morning, and not a lot of time for makeup? Choose a pencil with added extras, in size as well in coverage and softness: in one single stroke your eyebrows will be perfectly filled in and delicately tinted.

TIPS:

Fix it! Once you’ve chosen the colour, finish and type of product you're going to apply to your eyebrows, set it with a wax-based pencil or a fixing eyebrow mascara. It will be the final, crucial touch you add to your eye makeup look, maximising the products’ performance and making them last longer.

What about using a palette?

It’s a smart and convenient solution. The ones used most often are the little cases filled with incredibly useful things in mini travel or handbag sizes: mini-tweezers, mini-comb, mini-precision brush and powders in various shades, ready to blend and easy to apply. Equipped with a mirror for touch-ups and for setting and checking makeup throughout the day, eyebrow palettes are perfect for those who really want to look their best, guaranteeing an even result (given that they can be applied quickly, the powders have buildable coverage and are designed to help you create the shape you want stroke after stroke, even if you’re out and about, travelling, at school or in the office).

TIPS:

Highlight the eyebrow arch to further emphasise the shape and intensity of your brows. Use a pencil with a slightly shiny or pearly finish and draw generous lines (then blend gently) on the brow bone.

The right accessory

Tweezers are essential for everyone. You simply have to decide whether to use an angled or extra fine tip. Whichever you choose, a precise result is guaranteed, given that tweezers are made with materials that make them flexible and manoeuvrable, long-lasting and elegant (which is never a bad thing).

TIPS:

Always keep your tweezers clean. It might seem mundane but it means you’ll never have problems in one of the face’s most delicate areas. To make it hurt less when you tweeze your eyebrows, do it straight after a shower: your pores will be open and it’ll be easier to do. Alternatively - and a bit of a home-remedy - use an ice cube on your brows for a no-cost, risk-free natural anaesthetic. Then go for it (but carefully! We won't ever tire to remind you of that ;) ).

Have any beauty tips for enhancing and applying makeup to your brows that you want to try or share?

Get your makeup and your phone ready: take a photo of your look and share it using the hashtag #KIKOTrendsetters: take centre stage in the world of KIKO MILANO.

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